The Trouble I've Caused
by kates the firework
Summary: Clint got in a lot of trouble for bringing Natasha in. Like, a lot. Natasha brings it up exactly twice. The first time, he told her to make it worth it. The second time, he told her she'd made it worth it. Two-shot. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**_Hey guys! _**

**_This story is a bit random and out of nowhere, but I needed to find some way to deal with my Endgame feels. _**

**_I haven't been on this site in literal YEARS which is a bit scary, where has the time gone? XD _**

**_Anyway, hope people enjoy this, its a two-shot and its short, but I felt the need to post something an hour ago so this is the product of that feeling XD_**

**_Enjoy!_**

Natasha was desperately trying to control her shaking knee. She really was. It was a nervous tick she thought the Red Room had long since knocked out of her. She tried to focus all her energy into stopping the shaking and purposefully not listen to the verbal berating Agent Barton was receiving in the next room. However, due to her enhanced hearing, she could clearly hear every insult they threw his way, but there were cameras everywhere. She didn't want to be as obvious as putting her fingers in her ears as she didn't want to (a) look like a nutcase and (b) actually alert this agency to her genetic modifications. She thought Agent Barton might have had an idea, but he hadn't brought it up.

She gave up trying to control her knee jig as she heard him begin to argue back.

"I wasn't going to just leave her there!" he roared.

"You were sent to eliminate the threat-"

"She _isn't _a threat-"

"She's killed dozens of people-"

"Not from her own free will she hasn't-"

"That wasn't not _your call_ to make-"

"Well, if Coulson hadn't made that call for me then I wouldn't be here either, would I?"

"That's not the _point_, Barton-"

"I want to take her to Fury."

A laugh. "You're not being serious, Barton."

"I'm being very serious."

"The man doesn't even trust his_ own_ agents half the time, Barton-"

"I know he's in the building and I know he's pissed, so let me _explain_ it to him myself-"

"Absolutely not-"

"Coulson will allow it even if you won't, Finch, and you know he will, once he hears what I have to say about her."

Silence descended on the room next door, finally stilling Natasha's leg. Moments later the door opened, and a hard-faced agent came in, followed by Agent Barton. Natasha flicked her eyes up in their direction but kept her head down until she was addressed.

"Natalia Romanova," the other man said, "Agent Barton is going to take you to a secure location to be briefed on what is going to happen to you. You are not to leave his side until expressly told to do so. If you try to escape, our agents shoot to kill. Do you understand me?"

Natasha looked up at him and nodded slowly. Agent Barton nodded to her, so she stood up, holding out her hands to be uncuffed from the table. Her eyes widened as he uncuffed her hands themselves as well. The other agent at the door made an irritated noise but didn't object.

"C'mon," Agent Barton muttered, motioning for her to follow.

Keeping her head down as she passed the other agent, she fell into step with Barton as they walked down the hall.

"Take no notice of him," Barton said quietly, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the other agent. "The man's been an upstart since the day he was put on this earth."

Natasha nodded silently, her stomach churning with nerves as she fought to keep her face neutral.

"I'm taking you to see the director," Barton explained as they started climbing a flight of stairs. "Hopefully he'll be a bit more receptive than that ass," he added grimly. "Then, if all goes relatively well, we'll be taken to another base by my handler."

Natasha nodded again. "So, remind me again what relatively well looks like?"

Barton grimaced. "Basically, what you just heard from Finch, only scarier because it's being said by a guy with an eye patch. That always makes everything worse, you'll learn that with time. Plus side is that I'll still be alive after it. Like I said, relatively well."

"You're in a lot of trouble because of me, Agent Barton," Natasha observed, trying not to sound half as guilty as she felt.

He didn't deny it, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair, looking very tired all of a sudden. "Kid, I'm not gonna lie here. If this does go good, you're going to get a chance, a chance to prove yourself. Maybe a bit of trouble is gonna come my way to get you that chance, so because of that I'm going to ask you for a favour."

She flicked her eyebrows up. Favours always came with a price in her experience.

"Just-" he sighed again, "just make it worth it, okay?" He stared straight at her and she stared straight back, realising what he was asking of her. _Make the trouble worth it._ She nodded for a third time but said nothing. She didn't have to. He understood she was going to do her best not to blow it.

They stopped as they reached a door at the end of the next hall. "This is us," Barton told her. "Ready to enter the lion's den, partner?"

_Partner_. Coming from the agent, the word sounded…strange, unfamiliar, and _safe_.

Comforting.

She gave him a small smile. "Ready."

He grinned, giving her a small pat on the shoulder, and opened the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Clint threw his head back and roared with laughter. Natasha grinned as she bit into another slice of Laura's delicious homemade pizza. Clint winced quietly and she threw it back on the table, narrowing her eyes at him. He automatically waved her off. "I'm fine, Tash."

"Shirt off. Now."

Sighing in exasperation, but knowing he was better off obeying her instantly, he pulled off his shirt one-handed.

Sure enough, the stitches in his shoulder had burst open, triggered by his sudden head movement. With Laura gone to bed with the baby, there was only one person left to fix him up. Natasha clucked her tongue in disapproval.

"Now, now," she chided sternly, as she retrieved the first aid kit and some sewing materials. They hadn't gone far, seeing as they had been used only a few hours ago when they got home first. "You need to be more careful, Agent Barton."

"Of course, Agent Romanoff," he grinned at her use of formalities. "Please do accept my most sincere apologies."

"I don't think I can, I'm afraid," she retorted as she soaked a piece of cotton wool in antiseptic. "I guess I'll just have to leave you to suffer so you'll learn your lesson."

"I suppose you could," Clint agreed, hissing as Natasha dabbed at the wound, "but imagine how much trouble you'd be in with Laura"

Natasha shuddered and Clint chuckled weakly. "Maybe I'd better patch you up a bit better this time."

"Take your time Tash," he clumsily patted her knee with his bad arm. "Laura never minded a bit of blood here and there anyway."

"How could she not, being married to you?" Natasha asked dryly as she threaded her needle, and Clint snorted. "Though," she added bitterly, "you wouldn't be bleeding at all if I hadn't-"

"Tash." Clint cut across her. "Stop."

Natasha kept her eyes on his wound. "I've brought you a lot of trouble, Clint, don't think I don't know that."

Clint raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Where's this coming from?"

"You never told me how bad it was. Before." She gently made her first stitch in his shoulder, swallowing a sudden lump in her throat.

"Tash," Clint said softly, realising how upset she was and what she was getting at. He always could read her like a book. "Natasha, look at me, please."

She kept her head ducked stubbornly. He raised his good hand to tilt her chin upwards, so she was looking in in the eyes.

"Look, so a few dirty looks were sent my way and maybe I was sent on a few crappy missions as a result, but what did I get? The best friend I could ever ask for." He smiled. "Someone who had my back, and whose saved my life so many times I've lost count. Someone who's always made sure Laura had someone who was going to come home to her.

"Don't you see, Nat, that you've made it worth it? You have since the second you made the most of the chance that came your way, and I couldn't be prouder of you."

Natasha Romanoff was not a woman that easily showed real emotion, but at his words her eyes went bright.

"Come here," he gestured, wrapping his arm around her as she buried her head in his good shoulder, fearfully embarrassed and trying to get a grip on herself.

"Anyway," he continued lightly, "it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Fury's cat really liked you, remember? The second you came in he was all around your ankles and everything. That cat couldn't stand anyone. I think Hill, Coulson, me and you were the only ones he didn't start hissing at when someone came in to the office. Between you and me, that's probably why Fury was so easy on me."

Natasha muffled laugh came from his shoulder.

Neither of them said anything for a while after that. Clint just held her in his arms and that was enough. Natasha pulled away first, wiping her eyes discreetly and finished securing Clint's bandage to give her hands something to do. Clint closed his eyes and leant his head back into the couch, exhaustion taking hold of him as he dozed off. A baby's cries brought them both to their senses.

"I got it," Natasha said, jumping off the couch as Clint started to stir. "Stay there, I got it."

Clint groaned in relief and leant back into the couch as Natasha raced up the stairs. She opened the nursery door to see a baby boy holding the bars of his cot, cheeks red from crying.

"What's the matter, Coop?" Natasha cooed, as she lifted him out of his cot. Reflexively he nestled his head into her neck, familiar with his godmother's presence. "Are you hungry, darling?"

Grabbing the bottle of formula on the dresser, she sat on the rocking chair with Cooper in her arms. Readjusting him so his head was in the crook of her elbow, she fed him his bottle, keeping the rocking chair steady until he was finished. Making sure he was winded properly, she rocked him back and forth, singing softly to him. She was so engrossed in her godson that she didn't hear her partner passing the door, stopping outside it to listen to her too. Smiling in satisfaction, he moved on and made his way to his own bed.

Yes, he thought to himself, she had made it all worth it.

Slipping into bed beside his wife and kissing her cheek softly he lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. When they got back from their leave, he was going to ask Coulson if he could be a recruiter. He seemed to have a knack for picking the good ones.

_**I've officially completed my first fanfiction, yay! It took six years, but I can finally say I've finished one. **_

_**What? It's only two chapters, you say? I'm afraid I can't hear you. :-D**_

_**Have a lovely day, wherever you are in the world, and thanks for taking the time to read this. **_


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